Well this evening we've arrived
at the beginning of the fourth chapter in this epistle of Paul
to the Ephesians and perhaps we'll think upon the first three
verses tonight. So the fourth chapter of Paul's
epistle to the Ephesians and the first three verses which
are I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that
ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with
all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one
another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace." Well, the Apostle commences these
verses in some way similar to the previous chapter when he
reminds the Ephesians that he was the prisoner of the Lord. He was in prison in Rome when
he wrote this and he was in prison because he had been serving the
Lord. It wasn't because of any wrongdoing
naturally that he had done but it was because the Romans didn't
appreciate or understand the truth of God and therefore the
Apostle was now in prison. But nonetheless we are thankful
that although being in prison, it didn't stop him writing to
the Ephesians and writing other epistles very wonderfully and
very graciously. We are thankful to know that
the Lord is in every place. And here he was helping the Apostle
Paul on this occasion. And again he comes really very
powerfully and he says this, I therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord, beseech you. Therefore he says, beseech you. It means He was really concerned. It wasn't just something of irrelevance. It was a very important position
that He was bringing before the Ephesians. And He says, I beseech
you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Well, true it was for the Ephesians,
true it is for us today. And we may say, well what is
the vocation wherewith we are called? I believe every member
of the Church of God is called to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is our vocation. And
it's a very blessed vocation. It's a very glorious vocation. It's a very searching vocation. And it's a very needful vocation. And so here the Apostle addresses
us in this way, that you walk worthy of this vocation wherewith
ye are called. And it's quite clear that every
true believer who is called by God, called by His grace, is
called to serve Him and is to follow the gracious instruction
that the Word of God gives to us. It's a great blessing to
recognise that there is such a statement and the concern the
Apostle had, and it should be our concern, that we do walk
worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Because if we
have been called out of darkness, if the Lord has brought light
into our souls, it's because He has died for us upon that
cross at Calvary, and that we are bought with a price, we are
no longer our own, The Lord has purchased us, we are His, and
therefore we are called to serve. That is, by the grace of God,
our blessed vocation. We need to be constantly reminded
of the relevance and the importance of it. And then he gives us some
very wonderful advice, because really these last three chapters,
4, 5 and 6, in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, is really
our practical exhortations to the Church of God. And so let
us remember that these are not just written to pass over but
to take heed to. And then he gives us this instruction. He says, We are therefore worthy
of the vocation when we are called with all lowliness and meekness,
with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. For, of course, love is a wonderful
blessing and we're told we do all things amiss unless we do
all things in love. And that, of course, is love
to God, love to God the Father, love to God the Holy Spirit,
love to God the Son, and also love to the Church of God. It's a wonderful consideration. But it's a good word of instruction
and guidance to us, so that we do everything in love, with all
loneliness and meekness. It doesn't mean, does it, with
pride and arrogance. It means the opposite. You know
the Lord Jesus Christ was lowly, wasn't He? And He was meek. Of course we have the agreement
that Moses was very similar. He was a most meek man, we are
told, and very low in his own esteem and yet wonderfully blessed
by Almighty God. So we should not forget the truth
of these things and desire therefore that God may give us grace to recognise our calling is to be
worked out in this way, with all lowliness and meekness. And then he goes on to tell us
with long-suffering. Well that's fairly obvious, I
guess. It means that we are to suffer, and if we are to suffer
much, we are to absorb it. Long-suffering. We're not to
reject it. We're not to turn against it. We're to accept it as the path
that God has ordained for us. And again, we only have to look
at the wonderful example of the Saviour, what He had to endure
in His life. And if you and I are to be benefited
through fellowship with Christ and fellowship in His sufferings,
it will be to recognise this great truth with long-suffering. These are wonderful words really
of exhortation to us not always easy to carry out because often
we have our old nature which goes in an opposite direction.
But nonetheless we should be thankful that God has graciously
ordained that such words should be written for our instruction
and also for our encouragement. And then forbearing one another
in love. Forbearing those who perhaps
speak against us act against us in whatever way it may be.
We are to be very aware that we should be forbearing, forbearing
of them and put up with it. And that's not easy, is it? But
again, just think of what Christ does with us, how much He puts
up, as it were, with all the wrong and evil that we do. And
therefore, if the greatest God is forbearing to us, we should
be forbearing to the brethren. And then he says, Endeavouring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Endeavouring. What does that
mean? It means to do everything in our power. It doesn't mean
just pass by. To do everything in our power
to keep the unity of the Spirit. The unity of the Church. It may
be costly to us as individuals. But nonetheless, here is this
great statement. Endeavouring, if you recognise the truth of
it, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace. We know that the devil intends and endeavours to destroy
the unity of God's people, the unity of the Church. That is
his great aim. But my friends, we have a warning
here, that we are to endeavour to keep the unity and not let
Satan come in and separate us so that he may indeed be a vanquished
foe and not able to do what he desires. And of course we're
told here in the bond of peace. Yes, peace is a glorious thought
and a glorious fact and a wonderful truth to walk in peace. And as you and I are made willing
and able to follow the gracious exhortations in the Word of God,
we shall enjoy something of this peace. But if we don't, then
we will not know the peace. We'll be like a restless ocean. We'll be on edge all the time. What a mercy then to be submissive
to the gracious will of Almighty God. In the 13th chapter, the
first epistle to the Ephesians, we read much about what the Word
of God tells us about charity, or we could speak and say what
it talks about of love. And it's a wonderful consideration. And we read in that, in the fourth
verse, we're told, love, or charity, suffereth long. It suffers, you
see. And it's kind. it envieth not,
it vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. That's the evidence
of God's love toward us. What a mercy therefore, if we
are given grace to hear such a word. And then when the Apostle
wrote to the Philippians, in the second chapter, in the second
and third verses, he says, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. And that surely should be a desire
to have the mind of Christ. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. You see, if we're given grace,
look upon everyone else and think they're better than we are. It's
not a fit that we're better than they are. What a good example
that will be. What a direction it will lead
us in to seek for the unity of the Spirit and the health of
our souls and the following of the gracious exhortations contained
in the Word of God. So here we have then the beginning
of these last three chapters or the second half we might say
of the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians which gives us these
wonderful practical exhortations. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord, and don't forget he speaks like this, beseech, not something
just casual, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called with all holiness and meekness with
long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Amen.